Geno Auriemma Compares Sarah Strong to UConn Legends

UConn’s win over Ohio State crystallized a moment Geno Auriemma has been inching toward for weeks. The Huskies forward, Sarah Strong dominated and confirmed the very thing UConn’s head coach has been careful about saying out loud.

Strong had 29 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, five steals, and three blocks were the backbone of a 100–68 win. The performance was so complete that it felt like a throwback to the program’s greatest eras. And that’s exactly where Auriemma went after the game.

“As coaches, we just kind of shake our heads, and now even in practice, we almost want her to be perfect. Not fair, but I wouldn’t ask her to be if I didn’t think she could.” Then came the moment he couldn’t shake,” said Auriemma. “The missed corner three. Right in front of our bench, she took that three and missed it. She was really pissed. As if she missed the game-winning shot. She was really pissed.”

But the comparison wasn’t sealed until he mentioned the loose-ball dive. And that was the moment that Strong went from a sophomore forward to making a play that only UConn legends have.

“You saw her dive on that loose ball in front of our bench, right? I have videos of Diana (Taurasi) doing that, Maya (Moore) doing that, Stewie (Breanna Stewart) doing that,” said Auriemma.

SARAH STRONG TODAY 🔥

• 29 POINTS
• 13 REBOUNDS
• 7 ASSISTS
• 5 STEALS
• 3 BLOCKS
• 12/17 FG
• 0 TURNOVERS pic.twitter.com/UZn5Xhd1wW
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) November 16, 2025

Auriemma might be on to something. The more one looks at Strong’s game, the more apparent the comparisons become. This season, through four games, Strong has been absurdly steady. She had 21 against Florida State, 21 against Louisville, and 11 in a 20-minute outing against Loyola Chicago.

As Auriemma puts it, “I guess, is the best word I can come up with to say at this point that not a single thing that she does surprises me. What surprises me is how simple she makes the game look.”

It’s rare for him to admit a player is outpacing even his internal barometer, but Strong has a way of doing that. Strong is shooting efficiently, defending everywhere, and making plays that shouldn’t be possible for a sophomore forward. And that’s perhaps why the conversation around Strong is growing.

In fact, a Tennesse Vols legend had compared Strong’s game to Stewart’s long before Auriemma did.

Geno Auriemma Isn’t the Only One Comparing Sarah Strong to Breanna Stewart

Candace Parker, one of the greatest WNBA players not so long ago, drew the parallel a while who. When Parker compares a young forward to Breanna Stewart, the room shifts.

“I look at Breanna Stewart and think about how, when they won four straight national championships, her freshman year was the only one in question,” Parker said. “There were growing pains, and she grew up. I see a lot of that in Sarah Strong… there’s a power you have to own. And I see her playing with that ability, that power, and that mindset.”

"No one has a higher basketball iq than Sarah Strong" pic.twitter.com/he7eUAxPor
— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) November 4, 2025

It’s a comparison rooted in trajectory. Stewart was the rare player who finished her time in Storrs with four national titles, three National Player of the Year awards, and a career second on UConn's all-time scoring list with 2,676 career points. While Strong’s trajectory is different, the pieces are sure there.

Last year, Strong broke the UConn freshman rebounding record with 356 boards, ranked No. 2 in freshman scoring behind only Maya Moore. She also set the NCAA freshman tournament scoring record with 114 points.

This season, she’s elevated everything and is becoming the stabilizing force for a team that lost its longtime heartbeat, Paige Bueckers. Next up, UConn goes against the Michigan Wolverines on November 21, and the Strong saga will likely continue.

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